Detachable ear for transmission bands



June 23, 1925 E. R. ROSS DETACHABLE EAR FOR TRANSMISSION BAN DS Filed Dec. 12. 1924 Fatented June 23, 1925 UNlT-ED STATES PATENTTOFFICE.

ZELMER :a. nossQor BaInGEroR'r, oomvrzorrou'r, AssIGNon TO THE RAYBESTOS COM- PANY, OF BRIDGEPO'IR-T, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF, CONNECTICUT.

DETACI-IABLE EAR non TRANSMISSION BANDS.

Application filed December 12, 1924; 'Serial No. 755,425.

This invention relates to transmission and brake bands for automobiles and especially to a removable ear for the transmission bands of the Ford type of transmission.

It is well known that the Ford type of transmission comprises three rotating drums, one for the low speed, one for the reverse and one for the brake located closely adjacent each other and enclosed in a casing including a cover comprising substantially the whole upper half of the casing, and which cover has 'a small opening in its top over these drums closed by a hand plate. Each drum is substantially encircled by a flexible steel band lined with asbestos or other suitable material, and are provided at their ends with ears secured thereto. These ears are forked to receive the operating rods which are connected to the familiar operating pedals for clamping the bands about the drums as is well known. It is obvious that after the mechanism has been used for some time the fibre linings for the bands Wear out and must be renewed. Owing to the pe culiar construction of the transmission and the transmission cover, in order to replace any of the linings it is necessary to remove and replace the entire transmission cover. an operation which requires considerable time and furthermore after removing the cover it is diflicult to properly replace it.

In order to overcome these objections, bands have been constructed with removable ears so that after detaching one of the ears from the band it may be withdrawn, relined and then returned to its position in the transmission through the hand hole in the t 7 cover without removing the cover.

It is an object of my present invention to provide an improved band having a detachable ear so that the band can be removed and applied through the hand hole without removing the cover, and also to provide an improved means for detachably securing the ear to the band which will be simple in construction, may be quickly and easily fastened and unfastened, and which will be securely fastened so that it will not work loose in operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, similar reference characters being employed through the various figures to indicate corresponding elements. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of oneend of the band and a longitudinal section through the other end showing my improved means for detachably securing the ear to the band.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of. the removable ear and attaching means shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the end ofthe band for the detachable ear looking toward the inner face'of the band.

Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section through a portion of the band and ear but showing the securing button in'releasedpo sition, and

Fig; 5 is a transverse section on an enllarged scale substantially on line 5-5 of in the drawing I have not illustrated the three drums or the enclosing casing, as their construction and arrangement is well known. 1 have, therefore, illustrated merely the ends of a band with a removable ear and securing means constructed according to my invention. The flexible and resilient metal band is indicated at'10 lined With'the usual assecured to the band by any suitable means such as a rivet 12. Secured to the free ends of the band are the. ears 13 and 14 either one or both of which may be removably secured toth'e'band, and these ears are provided with the usual forked upwardly extending portion 15 in which the operating rod rests. Secured to the band and extending outwardly substantially radially thereof are one or more studs 16. In the drawing I have shown two of these studs, but it will, of course, be understood that the number may be changed as found necessary or dei sirable, and the curved portion 17 of the ear 1% is provided with suitable openings 18 into which these studs project. The portion 17 of the ear is curved to substantially the same curvature as that of the band and is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 19 to strengthen the connection between the portion 17 and the forked portion.

Another substantially radially extending stud 20 is secured to the band, and is preferably located between the fork and the studs 16, and the curved portion 17 of the .ear is provided with an elongated opening I 21 into which this stud may extend and also through which a securing button 22 may pass to the upper side of the portion 17 of the ear when in a certain position. The openings 18 and 21 are so located that when the ear is in position on the b and the outer sides of these openings engage the respective studs projecting into them so that each one of the studs, that is, the studs 16 and 20 do their share in transmitting the strain 7 ing required.

from the ear to the band, making a very strong and rigid construction. The stud 20 with the locking or securing means performs the two functions of transmitting its share of the strain from the ear to the band and also looking the ear to the band to maintain itin proper position thereon.

The looking or securing means comprises a button 22 pivoted to the top of the stud 20, this button being preferably counterbored adjacent one end thereof to receive the reduced portion 23 of the stud 20, this portion being headed over in the counterbored opening. to securely fasten the button to the stud, but it is left suflloientlv loose to allow the button to turn on the stud. The

studs are preferably riveted to the band by forming reduced portions 2 1 at their lower ends to provide shoulders 25 to engage the surface of the band, and then these reduced portions are riveted over in countersunk openings in the band.

The button 22 has an overhanging portion which is adapted to be moved to a posi tion over the body of the ear to engage the same and securely fasten it. or lock it to the band. Thus when moved to the position as shown in Fig. 4 the overhang is over the elongated opening 21 and may, therefore, pass through this opening, so that the ear may be removed from the band by merely lifting it off substantially radially away from the band without any sliding or longitudinal movement on the band whatever be- It'may be replaced on the band by merelv seating it in position with the studs projecting through the various openings, and this movement is also a simple radial movement with no longitudinal or sliding movement being required. After the ear has been placed on the band with the studs projecting through their respective openings the ear is locked to the band by turning the button to bring its overhang over the body of the ear, preferably to the position substantially shown in Figs. 1 and 2, longitudinally of the band, and to hold the button in this position, and prevent accidental movement thereof to releasing-position in operation the ear is provided with a pair of spaced lugs 26 between which the overhang rests. To allow for a slight radial movement of the button and its supporting stud when moved to and from the securing position as the button rides over one of the lugs 26, the band is slit on opposite sides of the stud 20 as shown at 27 leaving a portion 28 between these slits on whichthe stud is mounted and whichportion is movable laterally or radially of the band somewhat with respect to the rest of the band,- and this portion of the band may be forced inwardly slightly out of the plane of the band as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to allow for this movement, and then as the. button passes over the lugs 26 the resilient action of the band will cause it to tend to move to its original position and will firmly seat the overhang of the button betweenthe lugs 26 so that there will be no possibility of thebutton moving to released position in op eration. To remove the ear all that is neces: sary is to swing the. button around to the position shown in Fig. 1 and lift off the ear as above described, the resilient portion 28 of the band bet-ween the slits 2? allow-- ing the button to ride over the lugs 26. Thebutton may be conveniently moved from released to holding position or vice verse by means of a pair of pliers, and aswillbe obvious may be swung in either direction- To facilitate its movement cthe lateral. lower side edges of the overhang are beveled olf somewhat to form inclined surfaces .29 so that when turning the button from the position shown in Fig. 4 it will not catch on the top edge of the sides of theopening 21 and interfere with its movement. The lugs 26 are also preferably rounded or tapered as shown to facilitate movement of the button over them and also toinsure that the button seats properly between them. The studs 16 should also preferably be tapered as shown to facilitate their insertion in the openings 18, because, if the studs were straight, as they are located substantially radially of the band their outer ends. would be a greater distance apart than their inner ends, and it would be difficult to apply and remove the ear. It is to be especially noted that each of the studs 16 and 20 engages the side of their respective opening strain with a minimum numberot parts as mass:

transmit thestrain of operation to the band,

so that there is a maximum transfer ot there is no separate locking means apart from the means for holding the ear against sliding or longitudinal movement of the band. It will also be noted that the locking means is extremely simple in construction, is easily manipulated to either lock or release the ear, and will effectively lock the same to the band so that there is no chance of it accidentally working loose in operation.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. A transmission or brake band comprising a curved strip of flexible material, a radially extending stud carried by said band, an ear provided with an opening into which the stud projects and one side of which engages said stud to prevent longitudinal movement of the ear on the band, and movable securing means mounted on the stud, said means being arranged to pass through said opening in one position and movable to a position to secure the ear against movement radially of the band.

2. A transmission or brake band comprising a curved strip of flexible material, a radially extending stud carried by said band, an ear provided with an elongated opening into which the stud projects and one side of which engages said stud to prevent longitudinal movement of the ear on the band, and a movable catch mounted on the stud arranged to pass through said opening in one position and movable to a position to engage the top of the ear to prevent movement thereof radially outward from the band.

3. A transmission or brake band comprising a curved strip of flexible material, a radially extending stud carried by the band, an ear provided with an elongated opening into which the stud projects and one side of which engages said stud to prevent longitudinal movement of the ear on the band, and a securing button pivoted to the stud adapted to pass through the opening when in one position and provided with an over hanging portion movable to a position over the ear to prevent movement of the ear radially of the band.

4. A transmission or brake band comprising a curved strip of resilient metal, a plurality of substantially radially extending studs carried by said band, an ear provided with openings into which the studs project and so arranged that the sides of the open ings engage the studs to prevent sliding or longitudinal movement of the ear on the band, a securing button pivoted to one of the studs and adapted to pass through one of said openings, said button having an overhanging portion movable to a position over the ear to prevent movement of the ear radially of the band, andnieai'is -to hold the button in securing. position,

5. A transmission orbrake band compriss ing a curvedlstrip of-resilient metal,-a'plurality of substantially radially extending studs carried by said band, an ear providedwith openings into which the studs project and so arranged that the sides of the openings engage the studs to prevent sliding or longitudinal movement of the ear on the band, a securing button having an overhanging portion pivoted to one of the studs, one of the openings in the ear being elongated to allow passage of said button, said button being movable to a position over the ear to prevent movement of the ear radially of the band, and a pair of spaced lugs on the ear to hold the button in securing posi tion.

6. A transmission or brake band comprising a curved strip of resilient metal, a plurality of substantially radially extending studs carried by said band, an ear provided with openings into which the studs project and so arranged that the sides of the open ings engage the studs to prevent sliding or longitudinal movement of the ear on the band, a securing button having an overhanging portion pivoted to one of the studs and adapted to pass through one of said openings, said overhanging portion being movable to a position over the ear toprevent movement of the ear radially of the band, said band being slit on opposite sides of the stud carrying the button to provide a resilient portion movable relative to the rest of the band and on which the said stud is mounted, and spaced lugs on the ear to hold the button in securing position.

7. A transmission or brake band comprismg a curved strip of resilient metal, a substantially radially extending stud secured to said band, the band being slit on opposite sides of the stud to provide a resilient portion movable relative to the rest of the band, a securing button pivoted to the stud and having an overhanging portion, an ear having an opening through which the b ton may pass and one side of which opening engages the stud to prevent longitudinal or sliding movement of the ear on the band, said overhanging portion of the button being movable to a position over the ear to prevent radial movement of the ear, and a pair of tapered lugs on the ear between which the button may seatto retain it in holding position.

8. A transmission or brake band comprising a curved strip of resilient metal, a substantially radially extending stud secured to said band, the band being slit on opposite sides of the stud to provide a resilient portion movable relative to the rest of the band, a securing button pivoted to the stud and having an overhanging portion provided with inclined surfaces at its lower side edges, ear to prevent radial movement of the ear, an ear having an opening through which and a pair of lugs on the ear between which the button may pass and one side of which the button may seat to retain it in holding 10 opening engages the stud to prevent 1ongiposition.

-5 tudinal or sliding movement of the ear on In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

the band, said overhanging portion of the button being movable to a position over the ELMER R. ROSS. 

